Foreign investment and the export behaviour of foreign and local firms: an analysis of Turkish manufacturing

This paper compares the export performance of a sample of 119 foreign and local firms in Turkey, in 1994 and 1995, using descriptive statistical techniques. It also examines the role of foreign direct investment (FDI) by multinational enterprises (MNEs) in manufacturing exports and its contribution to the changing comparative advantage of Turkish manufacturing sectors. The findings suggest that even after the implementation of liberal economic policies in 1980 foreign and local firms, exporting less than 25% of their output, are principally local market-oriented. The results show, however, that FDI plays an important role in shifting the comparative advantage of manufacturing exports from traditional to technology-intensive sectors. In the long term, this is expected to result in a greater export-orientation for Turkish manufacturing industry.